My IQ has been increasing year by year.

Capital International Airport.

Sunlight streamed through the massive glass curtain wall into the departure hall of Terminal TZ.

The crowd was dense, with passengers pushing luggage carts forming long queues in front of the various check-in counters, and announcements playing on a loop about flights to destinations all over the world. Chen Zhuo, carrying a bag and holding his passport and transit itinerary, walked to the international departure counter.

The line wasn't long.

He waited for about ten minutes, then stepped forward and handed over his identification.

The ground staff member inside the cabinet was a young woman.

She took the passport, typed a few words on the keyboard, looked at the computer screen, and paused for a moment.

"Hello, Mr. Chen."

The ground staff looked up, a professional and polite smile on their faces.

"Hello."

"Your flight is bound for New York John F. Kennedy International Airport."

She took out a blank boarding pass and put it into the printer. The machine made a slight turning sound.

"The system here indicates that your seat has been changed."

Chen Zhuo looked at her.

"Adjustment?"

"Yes, your seat has been upgraded from economy to first class free of charge."

The ground staff handed the printed boarding pass and passport back to Chen Zhuo with both hands.

"Your seat number is ZA. Have a pleasant journey."

Chen Zhuo took the boarding pass and glanced at the seat number.

He didn't make a fuss, nor did he ask the ground staff why he was suddenly upgraded to a higher cabin.

He put his documents back in his bag, said only one thank you, and then turned and walked toward the customs and security checkpoint.

After passing through security and getting my exit stamp, I followed the signs to the boarding gate.

There were many duty-free shops along the way, but Chen Zhuo did not stop.

When he found the gate, first-class and business-class passengers had already begun boarding.

Chen Zhuo walked in along the covered bridge.

The flight attendant at the cabin door smiled, checked his boarding pass, and directed him to turn left.

The first-class cabin is very spacious, with large leather sofa-style seats and ample legroom.

There weren't many people in the cabin at the moment, and it was very quiet.

Chen Zhuo walked to the second row.

The window seat is ZA.

There was already someone sitting in seat 2B next to him.

The man was wearing a light gray casual shirt, with one button undone at the collar.

He was holding a book with no title on the cover, and he was looking down at it.

Hearing footsteps, Naru turned a page of her book and looked up.

Gold-rimmed glasses.

Miao Shi'an.

Chen Zhuo stopped in his tracks.

Miao Shi'an closed the book in his hand and placed it on the storage shelf next to him. He looked up at Chen Zhuo and gave a very ordinary smile. "You're here," Miao Shi'an said.

Chen Zhuo took the bag off his back and put it into the overhead luggage compartment.

He closed the hatch and sat down in seat 2A.

The leather seats are quite soft, and it's very comfortable to sink into them.

"Did you do this?"

Chen Zhuo turned his head to look at Miao Shi'an, his tone gentle.

"Um."

Miao Shi'an leaned back in his chair, his voice soft and natural.

"It's a transoceanic flight that takes more than ten hours. In economy class, you can't even stretch your legs. Since the elders in my family can put in a word with the airline, I'll just upgrade your seat as well," Miao Shi'an said to Chen Zhuo.

"When you're out and about, there's no need to get worked up about things that make you comfortable, right?"

Chen Zhuo smiled.

He didn't offer any pleasantries or make any excuses.

He adjusted the back of his seat and found a comfortable position.

"Thank you for spending so much."

"You're welcome."

Miao Shi'an also smiled.

The two did not dwell on the topic any further.

This acceptance of resources and arrangements demonstrates a remarkable tacit understanding among them.

Passengers began boarding the plane.

Economy class passengers walked to the back via another passage.

A flight attendant from first class came over with a tray and offered a hot towel.

Chen Zhuo took the towel, wiped his hands, and put it aside.

The hatch closed.

The captain's deep voice came over the loudspeaker, announcing the flight time, route, and weather at the destination.

The aircraft began to be slowly pushed out of its parking position by a tow truck.

The sound of the engine starting could be heard in the cabin.

The plane turned on the taxiway and taxied toward the takeoff runway, its speed increasing, and a feeling of being pushed back in your seat came from behind you.

The nose of the aircraft is raised.

The feeling of weightlessness lasted for a few seconds.

The plane took off, passed through the gray-white smog layer over Beijing, and headed towards the azure stratosphere.

Sunlight streamed in through the porthole and shone on the armrests of the seats.

The seatbelt indicator light beeped and then went out.

The cabin returned to normal.

The flight attendant pushed a cart over and stopped beside the two of them.

"Gentlemen, would you like something to drink?"

"Warm water, thank you," Chen Zhuo said.

"Same here, thank you," Miao Shian said.

The flight attendant poured two glasses of warm water and placed them on the wide armrest between the two people.

Please enjoy your meal.

Miao Shi'an reached out his hand, preparing to take the water glass.

He glanced down and felt that his cuffs were in the way.

So he grabbed the cuff of his right shirt with his left hand, casually rolled it up twice, and pushed it down to below his elbow.

Then, he reached out his right hand and picked up the water glass.

Chen Zhuo's gaze was originally fixed on the back of the seat in front of him, but as Miao Shi'an moved, his eyes naturally fell on it.

On the inside of Miao Shi'an's right arm, a little above the wrist, there is a scar.

It wasn't a linear cut from a knife, nor was it an abrasion.

It was an irregular, tear-like scar.

The skin bulges slightly after healing, with somewhat uneven edges. The color is much darker than the surrounding skin.

It was a very deep bite mark.

Chen Zhuo's gaze lingered on the scar.

Only half a second.

The time was so short that even Miao Shi'an didn't notice.

In that half-second, Chen Zhuo vividly recalled that summer morning two years ago.

A corridor in a USTC dormitory.

The sound of wind and muffled mechanical roar came through the telephone receiver.

And there was that trembling voice, filled with suppressed fear and confusion.

"Captain, he bit through my shoulder like a mad dog... His mouth was full of blood, my blood."

Chen Zhuo's eyelids drooped slightly.

He looked away.

He didn't ask anything.

He didn't ask if the scar would still hurt, nor did he ask how it was stitched up.

Chen Zhuo reached out and picked up his own glass of water.

He took a slow sip; the water was just the right temperature.

Miao Shi'an took a couple of sips of water from his glass and put it back on the table. He then rolled up his sleeves and buttoned them up. The scar was now concealed.

"I saw in the group chat that you're going to MIT."

Chen Zhuo, holding the cup with both hands, broke the silence with his words.

"Um."

"MIT is in Boston, Massachusetts, why did you buy a ticket to New York?"

Chen Zhuo turned to look at him.

Miao Shi'an leaned back in his chair.

"No rush."

Miao Shi'an's tone was very casual, lacking the tension he used to have, where he had to stick to a schedule for everything.

"Going too early just involves going through the new student registration process and listening to a few deans speak; it's pretty boring."

He looked at Chen Zhuo.

"I heard you were leaving today, so I changed my ticket."

"Did you come all this way just to see me off?" Chen Zhuo asked.

"I guess so. We also went sightseeing."

Miao Shi'an smiled.

"I've never been to New Jersey."

Chen Zhuo nodded.

"Good."

"A couple of days ago, Wang, who doesn't talk much, was complaining about packing his luggage in the group chat."

Miao Shi'an mentioned it casually.

"He went to Tsinghua University two years ago, and Lin Yi is going to Tsinghua University now too," Chen Zhuo said.

"Old Zhou is also on SMTH," Miao Shi'an added.

"Yes, He Gui went to Peking University."

Chen Zhuo took a sip of water.

"He Gui changed his major."

"I see it. Political science."

"Are you surprised?" Chen Zhuo asked.

Miao Shi'an thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"Not surprising," Miao Shian said.

"Physics is too logical for him. He probably thinks it would be more interesting to study something imperfect."

Chen Zhuo did not refute.

He looked at Miao Shi'an.

"And what about you?"

"Why did you decide to switch to studying international relations? Is it because you feel that things that are perfect are no longer interesting?"

Miao Shi'an did not answer the question immediately.

He looked out the porthole at the vast expanse of white clouds.

The sunlight outside was blinding, but he didn't blink.

About ten seconds passed.

"It was arranged by my elders in the family."

Miao Shi'an turned his head and looked at Chen Zhuo, his tone devoid of any complaint or resentment.

"They felt that they had no shortage of people in the family who did research in the lab, and that someone would always do the data and experiments."

Miao Shi'an crossed his arms and placed them on his lap.

"They hope that someone can learn how to understand international rules and see how the macroeconomic landscape works, so that they can have a wider range of opportunities in the future." Chen Zhuo listened quietly.

"Are you willing to do this?" Chen Zhuo asked.

Miao Shi'an smiled.

His smile was pure, even carrying a touch of youthful curiosity.

"At first, I wasn't sure if I was willing or not; I just followed the instructions. Later, after receiving the materials, I read some of them."

Miao Shi'an paused for a moment.

"I've tried to learn a little about geopolitics, strategy, and the power struggles between countries."

"How are you feeling?" Chen Zhuo asked.

"It's quite interesting," Miao Shi'an said frankly.

He was no longer the boy who was obsessed with solving the last big problem on the draft paper.

"I used to think that it was very interesting and fulfilling to unravel a complex physical model and arrive at the only correct answer." Miao Shi'an looked at the partition in front of him.

"Now I think it's quite interesting to study people, to study those rules that don't have absolutely correct answers, to study how they check and balance each other, and how they formulate the rules of the game," Chen Zhuo said, looking at Miao Shi'an.

The person in front of me has completely accepted the rules of reality.

He was neither crushed by the ruins of two years ago, nor bound by the arrangements of his elders.

He found new enjoyment in what seemed like cold, hard subjects of political science and international relations.

He turned all those heavy things into steps for him to climb higher.

Chen Zhuo put down the water glass in his hand.

"As long as it's interesting."

Chen Zhuo said gently.

"If you learn something, then it's not a waste."

"Um."

Miao Shi'an nodded.

Once the conversation reached this point, the atmosphere completely relaxed.

The flight attendant came over and took away the empty water cup.

"Oh, right."

Miao Shi'an turned to the side and looked at Chen Zhuo.

"I heard that Princeton treats gifted students like you very well, and the school has special expert rooms allocated to you?" "The school's notification letter states that accommodation is arranged."

Chen Zhuo replied.

Miao Shi'an chuckled softly.

"I changed my flight to New York, and I didn't even book a hotel in New York or New Jersey."

Miao Shi'an's tone carried a hint of banter between old friends.

"I was thinking, since you have a Grand Ducal Palace to stay at, I'll just go with you as soon as I get off the plane and mooch off your couch for a few days."

Chen Zhuo looked at him.

A slow smile crept onto Chen Zhuo's lips.

He leaned back in his chair and gently shook his head.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you," Chen Zhuo said.

Miao Shi'an raised his eyebrows slightly.

"What? You think I snore, or is the sofa too small to sleep on?"

Chen Zhuo looked at the cabin partition in front of him, his tone calm.

"My mentor, Professor Pierre."

Chen Zhuo said.

"He told me on the phone that I didn't need to stay at the school's public dormitory. He told me to go straight to his house after I got off the plane, and that he had reserved a room for me there." Miao Shi'an was stunned, then chuckled.

He shook his head, rubbed his temples, and laughed.

"I stayed at Pierre's house."

Miao Shi'an laughed and sighed at the same time.

"Fine. You win."

Miao Shi'an lowered his hand and looked at Chen Zhuo.

"Looks like I'll have to book a hotel after the plane lands."

Chen Zhuo smiled.

"I'll treat you to dinner," Chen Zhuo said.

"It's a deal," Miao Shi'an said.

The plane flew smoothly in the stratosphere.

The first airline meal was served, and the two ate it quietly.

During a flight of more than ten hours, chatting cannot fill all the time.

After dinner, the cabin lights were gradually dimmed, and most passengers pulled down their window shades to prepare for a rest.

The flight attendant came over with a blanket.

Miao Shi'an asked for an eye mask. He adjusted the back of the chair, turning it into a slightly reclining position.

"I'm going to take a nap," Miao Shi'an said.

"it is good."

Miao Shi'an put on the blindfold, turned his head to one side, and stopped talking.

Chen Zhuo asked the flight attendant for a thin blanket.

He unfolded the blanket and covered his legs.

He was not sleepy.

He turned his head slightly and pushed the sunshade of the porthole up a very narrow gap.

The sky outside was a dark, almost blackish blue.

Sunlight shone on the wings, reflecting a blinding white light, below which stretched an endless, still sea of ​​clouds.

The cabin was dark.

No one was moving around, and there was no sound of conversation.

Ten thousand meters above the ground, all sounds are filtered out.

Only one sound remained.

That was the roar of the plane's massive twin engines beneath the wings.

The voice was deep, resonant, and sustained.

It traveled through the metal shell of the cabin and through the leather back of the seats into Chen Zhuo's ears.

The sound isn't noisy at all.

On the contrary, it sounds very regular and tightly interlocked.

Chen Zhuo looked away.

He pulled the sunshade back down, blocking out the strong light from outside.

The cabin went completely dark.

Chen Zhuo placed his hands on the blanket on his lap.

He leaned back in the soft chair and closed his eyes.

Listening to the steady sound of the engine, he slowly drifted off to sleep.